‘Campbell’ up for the test

COT CAMPBELL is the big attraction at Kenilworth tomorrow when the Cape Guineas hope is tested against older horses for the first time in the concluding Mark Well Handicap.

It is also his first time round the turn and his poor draw is causing some anxiety for Justin Snaith who says: “I am very concerned.

“Going 1 400m round the turn with a young horse is difficult enough but with a ten draw we are going to have to do it the hard way.

“Cot Campbell is a nice horse with an impeccable pedigree and if he’d had a good draw I would have been quite confident.

“He can still win but he is going to need plenty of luck in running. Really, it’s 50:50 and I wouldn’t like to put a lot of money on a horse that is going to need luck.”

Ebony Flyer

But this Trippi first foal of the triple Grade 1 winner Ebony Flyer is something special.

True, he got beaten in his first two – he lost six lengths at the break when odds-on for his debut and second time he lost just as much ground when, drawn on the wrong side, Bernard Fayd’Herbe found his path repeatedly blocked.

But the colt really lived up to his home reputation four weeks ago, breaking smartly, going clear at halfway and drawing further and further away.

At the furlong pole he was six clear and he would have been just as far in front at the line had Fayd’Herbe not been content to let him coast home.

The form has had a mixed follow-up.

Danger Rock

Second-placed Danger Rock won narrowly next time but the third horse was again third and the fourth unplaced.

However Cot Campbell looks way above average and it will be a big disappointment if the in-form Richard Fourie doesn’t manage to overcome the draw disadvantage.

Hemmingway carries an extra M in his name but the legendary novelist would still have been proud of the way the colt ran on debut, overcoming a slow start to go under by only a short head just 35 minutes before Cot Campbell ran away with his race.

Aldo Domeyer takes over in the Rawson Properties Maiden and the Andre Nel colt should beat Dayonaut despite the six-year-old running so well ten days ago.

Domeyer can also win the Grinnell Security & Cleaning Services Maiden on the consistent Bernie who probably has most to fear from League Game and Siberian Husky.